Texas vineyards impacted by a month of rain

Ron’s featured wine for June 25 is the Windy Winery’s Desert Rose Blanc du bois. He says this estate-grown dry white wine has nuances of nectarines with a floral nose of roses.

Ron’s featured wine for June 25 is the Windy Winery’s Desert Rose Blanc du bois. He says this estate-grown dry white wine has nuances of nectarines with a floral nose of roses.

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Ron’s featured wine for June 25 is the Windy Winery’s Desert Rose Blanc du bois. He says this estate-grown dry white wine has nuances of nectarines with a floral nose of roses.

Ron’s featured wine for June 25 is the Windy Winery’s Desert Rose Blanc du bois. He says this estate-grown dry white wine has nuances of nectarines with a floral nose of roses.

Texas vineyards impacted by a month of rain

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By Ron Saikowski / Wine WalkThe flat lands of coastal Texas took a pounding with daily rains, cool temperatures and cloudy days for almost the entire month of May.

This weather has negatively impacted many vineyards along the Texas Coast. Hybrid grapes such as Blanc du Bois and Lenoir are grown along the Texas Gulf Coast with Texas producing more Blanc du Bois than any other region in the world. These hybrids can tolerate both the Texas coastal humidity, high temperatures at night, and a disease called Pierce’s Disease which clogs the xylem or “blood vessels” of vines with plaque. The “Achilles Heel” of these hybrid grape vines is a series of maladies caused by “black rot,” powdery mildew, and downy mildew. The continuous moisture keeping vines and grape berries soaked for days is promoting these vines problems with many coastal vineyards unable to fight back. The vineyards have been so wet that applications of sulfur compounds to prevent and/or mitigate these problems have been impossible. The soils have been saturated with water, making it impossible for tractors to spread these sulfur compounds to combat these primary fungal diseases. The results have been devastating to many vineyards where the entire grape crop has been impacted. I have witnessed entire vineyards suffering from blackened grapes shriveling on the grape bunch structures. Some vineyards have been lucky to be able to get some sulfur-based fungicides on their grape vines. However, the final impacts will be measured in mid-July when grapes are ready for harvesting. These hybrids bud out early so they are ready to pick early when compared to vitis vinifera. We will know the details of May rains when the harvest comes in mid July. I do know that vineyards have been negatively impacted with a few vineyards losing their entire grape crops in 2015.

Celebrating US freedom in a Texas way

Texans have a reason to celebrate our freedoms so let’s do it in a big Texas way. More and more Texas wines are becoming available on our grocery shelves in stores like Kroger’s and H-E-B. In fact Texas wines have three to five times more shelf space in these grocery stores than French wines. Grab you a bottle or two of Texas wines to celebrate the Fourth of July! On July 4, make plans to be at Bernhardt Winery around 5 p.m. to grab you a place to listen to Ezra Charles and the Texas Bluz Review. This special Saturday concert will start earlier than their Sunday concerts in order to give concert-goers a chance to find their favorite spot around or on Lake Conroe to watch the fireworks splash colors on the waters of Lake Conroe. This will be the last concert of the nationally acclaimed Ezra Charles so this concert will be very special. So will the fireworks over Lake Conroe!

Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail celebrates the harvest

Celebrate the Texas wine harvest during the second and third weekends in July along the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail. Participating Trail wineries include:

• Bernhardt Winery near Plantersville

• Cork This Winery in historic Montgomery

• Messina Hof Winery in Bryan

• Peach Creek Winery between Navasota and College Station

• Pleasant Hill winery in Brenham

• Saddlehorn Winery near Burton

• Windy Winery near the Brenham airport

Participants will receive one summer scrumptious food pairing with two wine pairings at each winery they visit. It’s a great opportunity to take a break from the heat, celebrate our independence, learn more about Texas wine, visit with the wine makers and winery owners and most importantly have some summer fun! Ticket holders have four days to visit the wineries on second and third weekends in July.

Participants on this trail receive a Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail commemorative 12-ounce wine glass upon arrival at their first winery. At each winery along the trail ticket holders receive a unique winery specific wine charm. At the seventh and final winery stop, participants also receive a Texas Bluebonnet wine charm.